The case could impact U.S. software and DeFi development.
Ethereum Foundation donates $500K to Storm’s defense.
On June 13, the venture capital firm Paradigm filed an amicus brief with the New York District Court, arguing on behalf of Roman Storm, who was one of the co-founders of Tornado Cash. The complaint in United States v. Storm alleges that Storm laundered money and operated an unregistered money-transmitting company using his decentralized cryptocurrency anonymity technology. Paradigm claims that the prosecution must be able to show that Storm was well aware of having an operation that transmitted money.
Storm was put on trial on July 2, 2025, on Tornado Cash-related charges, a software protocol allowing transactions on the Ethereum blockchain to be conducted privately. The tools are accused of enabling more than 1 billion in illegal funds by prosecutors. According to the brief filed by Paradigm, the jury should comprehend that to find guilt, evidence that Storm charged fees, controlled funds, and knowingly dealt with criminal proceeds is necessary.
The case stems from Storm’s 2023 arrest. Tornado Cash is a non-custodial, immutable cryptocurrency mixing tool. Paradigm argues that programmers who develop open-source code without the ability to control its use must not be criminally liable. The company refers to FinCEN directives of 2014 and 2019 that do not consider software developers as money transmitters.
Implications for Software Development
Paradigm cautions that to convict Storm will transform the U.S. software development industry. The brief claims that blaming the developers for the wrongful use of their code by third parties to conduct malicious acts endangers creation. It likens trying Storm to trying to sue an auto-maker because of the offenses of a motorist. The company underlines that Tornado Cash was a decentralized application, so Storm had no control over transactions.
The lawsuit has drawn attention from the crypto community. Advocacy organizations such as Coin Center and the Blockchain Association filed similar briefs in April 2024, contending that the government had misinterpreted money-transmitting laws. A March 2025 court decision in Texas that overturned Treasury sanctions against Tornado Cash and its smart contracts supports Storm by saying that code that cannot be altered is not property.
Storm’s legal defense has garnered significant support. Ethereum Foundation put in 500000, the community 750000, to cover its 2 million in legal fees. Strong industry support was indicated by Paradigm’s prior contribution of $1.25 million. Storm holds that he developed Tornado Cash to provide financial privacy and not for crime.
The result of the trial may become a precedent for decentralized finance (DeFi) and open-source software. The legal authorities observe that a guilty verdict may discourage developers from developing privacy-centred tools, citing the possibility of criminal liability. In contrast, an overturn may be a confirmation of the rights of software developers using the current laws.
Hearings for oral arguments are scheduled for June 25, 2024, before Judge Katherine Polk Failla. The case continues to be the centre of privacy-related, innovation, and overregulation-related discussions regarding cryptocurrency.